(Welcome to Nostalgia Bomb, a series where we take a look back on beloved childhood favorites and discern whether or not they’re actually any good. In this edition: we revisit the films of Amblimation, the short-lived animation arm of Steven Spielberg‘s Amblin Entertainment.)

When you stroll down your personal movie memory lane, certain titles bring you back to a specific place and time. For me, I always travel back to my grandmother’s living room carpet. I can still feel the dusty fibers between my tiny fingers – this was my movie zone. And in that space, my most vivid memories revolve around the creations of a specific studio: Amblimation. Despite only making three movies, they captured my heart and imagination.

So in this edition of Nostalgia Bomb, let’s go on a journey to explore this short-lived animation studio. A journey that involves a mouse, a group of dinosaurs, and a heroic wolf/dog. There will be laughs, tears, and James Horner. But this is also the story of the struggles of ’90s animation. Because even though it may look pretty, and have Steven Spielberg involved, there are definitely bumps on the cinematic road to glory.